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Remember Dilana from Rockstar Supernova? Tracii Guns has announced Dilana as the new singer for L.A. Guns. Personally, I like Dilana, I thought she should have won that Rockstar Supernova show. She gained many fans from that show, so it should be interesting to see who shows up at a L.A. Guns show now.

Quite frankly, I think this is an interesting move for Tracii Guns. Dilana is a hell of a singer, and may surprise quite a few people. I will miss seeing Jizzy live (get Love/Hate back together Jizzy!), but I am interested in seeing this version of L.A. Guns live.

Apparently, not all fans like this decision. Check out this awesome Youtube clip below. (Thanks Kenny!!)

From L.A. Guns Official website:

Dilana is the new singer for L.A. Guns after an incredible amount of scrutiny and mixed opinions.

The final straw was her audition where she completely took control of the environment by injecting a type of soul into these old new songs that I have never heard before. The first tune we jammed on was the Otis Redding classic ” These Arms Of Mine ” and even a very skeptical Jeremy looked up at me and mouthed Holy Shit to me and I had the same feeling.

Then we ran through One More Reason, Never Enough and of course The Ballad Of Jayne and it was an awakening of just how professional and soulful of a Singer Dilana is.

After getting Responses from Label Steve Vai, my Agent and Manager who are all really into a drastic positive change for L.A. Guns and Myself , we all feel this is a ballsy and risky change that we all collectively feel good about. I expect there will be some changes in the live setlist and I hope we can get straight into writing mode ASAP and record some fresh Rock n Roll also ASAP . We hit the road starting in San Antonio Texas September 21st.

BLACK WATER RISING recently wrapped filming on their new video for the song “No Halos” from their self-titled debut. The video was directed by acclaimed director Noah Shulman (Soil, Hellyeah). “No Halos” features Jose Hernandez Jr. (HBO’s OZ) in the starring role and depicts religion as cult and uses media as a brainwashing tool. The viewer follows the preacher as he descends into madness caused by society’s ills. Check out the video below:

TWO DISC SET DUE OUT NOVEMBER 22nd IN NORTH AMERICA VIA SPV/STEAMHAMMER

Swedish Metallers EVERGREY have confirmed the release date for “A Decade and a Half” a two disc greatest hits collection. This deluxe package containing previously unreleased songs, live tracks and an extensive booklet will be available in North America on November 22nd in North America.

Since the band arrived on the scene with their first album in 1998, EVERGREY have brought out eight studio albums and one live release. All of them made the top 20 in their native Sweden and the last two made the top 10. On top of that, their DVD “A Night To Remember” was number 1 for four weeks and nominated for a Grammy in Sweden. Their last single “Wrong” received a gold award in April 2011 for over 10.000 sold copies in Sweden.

EVERGREY is currently on the road in North America with Sabaton, the remaining dates are listed below:

9/29 – Regina, SK @ Exchange

9/30 – Edmonton, ALB @ Starlite Room

10/2 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

10/3 – Vancouver, BC @ The Venue

10/5 – San Francisco, CA @ The Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center

10/6 – Hollywood, CA @ The Key Club

10/7 – Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse

10/8 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex

10/9 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater

10/11 – Houston, TX @ Numbers

10/12 – Dallas, TX @ Trees

TRACKLISTING:

CD 1
01. The Masterplan
taken from “In Search Of Truth”02. Blackened Dawn ( Live )
taken from “A Night To Remember”03. Rulers Of The Mind
taken from “In Search Of Truth”04. A Touch Of Blessing
taken from “The Inner Circle”05. Frozen
taken from “Glorious Colission”06. For Every Tear That Falls ( Live )
taken from “A Night To Remember”07. More Than Ever
taken from “The Inner Circle”08. Blinded
taken from “Recreation Day”09. Faith Restored
taken from “The Inner Circle”10. These Scars
taken from “Torn”11. Broken Wings
taken from “Torn”12. Words Mean Nothing
taken from “Solitude, Dominance & Tragedy”13. Wrong (live) 03:12 (unplugged – previously unreleased)

CD2
01.The Great Deceiver
taken from “Recreation Day”02. Monday Morning Apocalypse
taken from “Monday Morning Apocalypse”03. Wrong
taken from “Glorious Colission”04. Waking Up Blind ( Live )
taken from “A Night To Remember”05. Solitude Within
taken from “Solitude, Dominance & Tragedy”06. Recreation Day
taken from “Recreation Day”07. Still In The Water
taken from “Monday Morning Apocalypse”08. Leave It Behind Us
taken from “Glorious Collision”09. Fear 04:15
taken from “Torn”10. When The Walls Go Down ( Live )
taken from “A Night To Remember”11. Frozen (live) (unplugged – previously unreleased)

Irish rockers GLYDER recently completed filming a new music video for the first single “Fade to Dust” from their forthcoming album “Backroads to Byzantium”. The new album is set for an October 25th release on SPV/Steamhammer. Check out the new video below.

Backroads to Byzantium” takes the listener on a road trip that has a hint of Americana and progresses to the re-emerging troubles on the streets of Northern Ireland to being homeless on the streets of London. Other themes on the album concern the evils of the tabloid press and global warming. The album ends off in a reflective mood about mortality and how it’s not the end.”

GLYDER’s new singer Jackie Robinson has a unique rock voice that sometimes hints at Paul Rodgers and Phil Mogg. Hailing from Northern Ireland, he was recruited through an ad on the Internet and because the rest of the band is from the South of Ireland, the album was written between Jackie and the two GLYDER guitarists, Bat Kinane and Pete Fisher, over email. Working with some home recording software and a few Gmail accounts, the new GLYDER album took shape over Christmas 2010 and early 2011. The album was recorded in Dublin and mixed in Copenhagen. The stunning artwork was created by Mark Wilkinson.

Founding member Bat Kinane spoke about the new lineup and album:

“This new GLYDER album has i feel my best songwriting and guitar playing to date. I’ve just put everything into this album and I also seem to have found a new confidence in my playing. Pete’s playing is also great and he has some amazing solos.

“You cannot mistake that this is a great guitar album, but the songwriting I feel is top-notch, too. Jackie, the new singer, really has a quality set of pipes and that makes it very exciting.

“I like the fact that we used all the modern technology available to us to write the album because Jackie lives 200 miles away. It’s very much a classic rock-sounding album, but it was written and recorded in a way that could have not been done thirty years ago.

“I know in my heart we have done something very special on this album and I’m very proud to be in this band.”

Soundgarden made their thunderous return to the stage this summer with a run of North American tour dates throughout July. It’s been fifteen years since they last performed outside of the US. Now, we’d like to announce Soundgarden is headlining the 20th Anniversary of the Big Day Out Festival in New Zealand and Australia. Soundgarden played their first BIG DAY OUT in 1994 – the year Superunknown was released. In 1997, they returned for an encore. 2012 will bring the group’s long-awaited return down under.

KILL DEVIL HILL, the new project featuring acclaimed drummer Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell, Dio) and bassist Rex Brown (Pantera, Down) have signed with SPV/Steamhammer. The band is rounded out by guitar slinger Mark Savon and killer vocalist Dew Bragg. Their debut album is tentatively scheduled for a March 2012 release.

Vinny Appice commented on signing to SPV and what people can expect from KILL DEVIL HILL:

“We are a new band with the power, energy and history to stand out, create music and be successful. We are proud to be with SPV, a label with the same attitude, talent and drive!”

Bassist Rex Brown is equally excited about joining the SPV family:

“It is with a great pleasure to be aboard the SPV Music Blanket. We are looking forward to a great new experience with a label that has put out many great metal records. Cheers!”

The still untitled release is being produced by Warren Riker who is best known for his work with Down, Corrosion of Conformity, Sublime, and Cathedral.

Olly Hahn (A&R Steamhammer/SPV) on signing KILL DEVIL HILL:

“It`s a great pleasure to welcome KILL DEVIL HILL to the SPV family. It´s not only because of Rex Brown and Vinny Appice, mostly it`s because of their music and that they are a real band. Music wise they don`t neglect their past but they also give some fresh elements to our beloved music genre called Heavy Metal!”

KILL DEVIL HILL is currently taking a short break from the studio for a short club tour starting October 2nd in Clifton, NJ. A complete list of dates is below:

The most highly hyped album of 2011, Chickenfoot III is finally here! The hype machine has been in full gear for several weeks for the latest opus from Chickenfoot. Sammy Hagar has called this his best work to date. I usually don’t buy into all of this hysteria. As much as I love Sammy I think he has had a few “Mas Tequila’s” to make a statement like that… but I digress.

So what are my expectations on a new Chickenfoot album? With Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, Chad Smith and Sammy Hagar making music together, I would expect something on the level of Van Halen. Their debut together was good, but not quite what I expected. I have the same feelings about Chickenfoot III, however this album is definitely better than the band’s debut.

This album is a bit of a grower. The music is good, if not exceptional in most cases. Joe Satriani absolutely brings it for Chickenfoot’s sophomore long player. His guitar work on this album, is easily his best yet for Chickenfoot. His guitar solos are pure hard rock perfection. I couldn’t be happier with this guitar playing.

Sammy Hagar’s vocals are always top notch, and the Red Rocker proves he is still on the top of his game on Chickenfoot III. The trademark sound of Van Halen returns on Chickenfoot III as Michael Anthony provides plenty of his higher octave background vocals. I love hearing Mikey sing with Sammy! This always brings me some happy Van Halen memories. He gets plenty of opportunities to do so on Chickenfoot III.

After the first couple of spins, I have to admit that I wasn’t super impressed with Chickenfoot III, but my opinion has changed after multiple listens. This is the type of album that takes a few plays to fully appreciate. This is a deeper record, and a little more complex than the debut. It takes a little more for it to sink in (At least it did for me).

I have played Chickenfoot III several times now and there are a few tracks that I believe could be radio hits.

The standout tracks are “Alright, Alright”, “Different Devil”, and the album’s first single “Big Foot”and “Dubai Blues”. “Up Next” has some pretty cool lyrics that I get a kick out of each time I hear it. “Dubai Blues” is quickly becoming one of my favorites. The hidden bonus track “No Change” is pretty cool too!

So the bottomline is this: Is Chickenfoot III worth picking up? Absolutely!! Is this Sammy Hagar’s best work? I don’t think so, but it is still pretty damn good. The scary thing is, I don’t think we have heard the best from Chickenfoot yet. If you enjoyed the first Chickenfoot album, you are going to like this one too.

On a side note, You ought to purchase the CD, instead of the digital downloads. If you don’t, you are missing out on a cool special edition of this CD that comes complete with a set of 3D glasses, and pictures of (you guessed it) Chickenfoot in 3D. The special edition also includes a cool Making of Bonus DVD, which made me appreciate Chickenfoot III that much more.

Chickenfoot III hit stores on Tuesday September 27th. You can pick up the bonus edition at this link!

The buzz for the Oklahoma band’s debut album has been building thanks to early adds for the first single, “Put Your Guns Down,” on radio stations nationwide, including KATT (in their hometown, Oklahoma City), WIIL (Chicago), WKLC (Charleston, WV), WJJO (Madison) and WRTT (Huntsville).

The song stems from an incident at an Oklahoma City prison, which is where singer Travis Jones and bassist Jared Ellis first met and worked together as guards.

As singer Travis Jones recently told AOL/Noisecreep.com, “One day we had an inmate come in thinking he was a little more hardcore than he actually ended up being. I was having a bad night, and to add to it, this inmate kept running his mouth. One thing lead to another and he ended up taking a swing at me. So I moved in on him, picked him up, and slammed him into the ground taking control of the situation. Later on that night I was going back over what had just happened in my head and the line ‘careful what you wish for’ kept sticking in my head, because he wanted to fight, but I know he didn’t see it playing out the way it actually did. And it made me think about those guys that think they are unstoppable until someone actually puts them in their place. That’s where the idea for ‘Put Your Guns Down’ came from.”

With producers Cody Hanson and Marshal Dutton behind the boards for THE WRONG THINGS, the band has perfected the merging of their up-tempo, aggressive and pounding sound with melodic vocal hooks and identifiable lyrics that appeal to a broad audience. With an unbreakable chemistry, 9 LEFT DEAD brings an action packed show every night leaving it all out there on the stage for the fans.

9 LEFT DEAD is starting to make their way across the U.S. with more tour dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Check them out at any of the following stops:

After the release of their anniversary album “Branded” which early this year has charted in Germany, Bavaria’s finest rockers BONFIRE are surprising their fans now with a second birthday party and a special present.

The anniversary concerts in Sweden, the Czech Republic, Romania, Switzerland, Bremen (Germany) but also the “Rock The Nation” festival at Loreley, where BONFIRE shared the stage with legends such as FOREIGNER, NIGHT RANGER and KANSAS, “Fireworks – Still Alive” have been recorded.

Released in 1987, the studio album “Fireworks” in Germany so far has sold more than 250.000 copies and was rewarded with a Golden Record. The band with the permanent line-up consisting of Claus Lessmann (Vocals, Guitar), Hans Ziller (Guitar), Chris „Yps“ Limburg (Guitar), Uwe Köhler (Bass) and Dominik Hülshorst (Drums) has performed all tracks from the Fireworks album at the aforementioned shows – with an up-to-date sound.

This new CD offers a couple of bonus tracks including the song “I’m On My Way” – a touching tribute on the late Steve Lee, singer of GOTTHARD, and live recordings of the hits “You Make Me Feel”, “Sword And Stone”, “Just Follow The Rainbow” plus the previously only as digital single released edited version of “Let It Grow” from their current CD “Branded”.

The release of the “Fireworks – Still Alive” record will be celebrated at this year’s Masters Of Rockantenne festival in Augsburg, Germany on October 8th and the album will be officially released on October 7th.

“Falling Down” recently debuted on the BDS Active Rock chart at #38 and is in heavy rotation on SiriusXM’s “Octane” channel, while “Trails In Veins” can be heard on the “Liquid Metal” channel, thanks to the support of Program Director Jose Mangin, who has championed KYNG since hearing early demos a couple of years ago, some of which were played on “Octane” before TRAMPLED SUN was even in the works. SiriusXM was instrumental in bringing the band to what became their record label (REALID/ILG) and managers (In De Goot, who also represents Shinedown, Chevelle and others).

KYNG’s self-proclaimed “California Heavy” sound is a unique and universally appealing combination of heavy and captivating concepts, channeling influences from Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin to Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age.

Before KYNG was a glimmer in the trio’s eyes, bassist Tony Castaneda and drummer Pepe Clarke Magaña were members of the Latino metal band Ankla, which toured across the U.S. with bands such as Ill Nino, Nonpoint, In This Moment, and Hatebreed. They were also a part of Ozzfest in 2007.

Now that the band has completed dates with Drowning Pool, Pop Evil and Egypt Central, the band is launching a two-week jaunt with Wayne Static and Eye Empire starting today. Check out KYNG at any of the following stops:

Eagle Rock Entertainment are proud to announce the November 15 release of GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE on DVD and Blu-ray[Pre-book Order Date October 21, MSRP $14.98 for DVD, $19.98 for Blu-ray].

Shot over the course of three years, GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE is an unrivalled look into the mind of legendary rock icon Ozzy Osbourne. GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE tells the life story of Ozzy, as seen through the eyes of his youngest child, Jack Osbourne, who worked alongside directors Mike Fleiss and Mike Piscitelli. During the documentary, Ozzy recounts his troubled youth, his early career with Black Sabbath and the impact of fame and addictions on his first marriage. Viewers will also witness the second chapter of his life as a family man with Sharon, during which his addictions grew to a frightening level, as well as hear Ozzy and his children explain his attempts at staying clean, ultimately resulting in more than five years of sobriety. Music fans will also see live performances from around the world, including rare behind the scenes clips of Ozzy on and off stage, in his dressing rooms pre-show, to his nights in a series of hotel rooms. Throughout GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE, audiences are given an inside look into the life of a rock star, from the good times to the bad.

The DVD and Blu-Ray of GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE also features additional previously unseen footage not seen in the theatrical release including new interviews, classic archive footage of Black Sabbath and OZZY OSBOURNE, along with aQ&A with OZZY and Jack Osbourne and behind the scenes footage from the Tribeca Film Festival.

The New York Times (4-15-11) has described it as a movie that “unblinkingly chronicles the chaotic life and times of rock’s most notorious cut-up, from his miserable working-class childhood…to his latter-day sobriety.”

Sebastian Bach is back with a new album, a new(er) band, and a whole new attitude. Fans expecting to hear a new incarnation of hair metal should keep on walking. This is new Bach, and it is highly transformed from old Bach.

The first exceptionally noticeable trait on Sebastian Bach’s latest CD, Kicking And Screaming is how unique the sound is when compared to past Bach. While Sebastian mentioned in several interviews that the new disc was going to be decidedly different from anything he’s previously recorded, it’s hard to know what that means until actually hearing the disc. Bach was not kidding. Fans purchasing Kicking And Screaming hoping to hear regurgitated hair metal from days gone by are in for a big disappointment. Kicking And Screaming is a Sebastian Bach solo record like none that has been heard before and that is great news for metal fans.

Bach’s voice has changed for this release. Known for his primal metal screams and magnificent yowls that ruled the hairspray rock back in the day, Bach has followed more of a modern trend for Kicking And Screaming. The yodeling has been pushed aside for more of an alternative rock sound. Blend together the sounds of Seether, Three Days Grace, Shinedown, Soundgarden, and a lot of London LeGrand, and the end result will be Bach’s voice on Kicking And Screaming. It’s neither a good thing nor a bad thing, but it is different. So different that it is immediately noticeable and after a couple of spins through the disc, it’s likeable. The lengths that Bach went to be more than a cliché of his former self shows and it is a welcome breath of fresh air.

After seeing Sebastian Bach live at this year’s M3 Festival, I knew that young guitar wizard, Nick Sterling, was an exceptional talent. However, once I heard his work on Kicking And Screaming I was reminded of Steve Vai on David Lee Roth’s Yankee Rose. Sterling is close to being that elite and his chops on the album are astonishing. Layered with intense solos and spectacular finger picking, Nick Sterling is every bit as good as Sebastian Bach proclaimed him to be. As lead guitarist for Bach’s band, he provides a fresh and invigorating style of guitar that brings out the best in each song. Nick Sterling is the future sound of hard rocking guitarists, and if he keeps up this great work, he is going to be remembered forever. Like Johnny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd before him, this young superstar can be the next IT guitarist. Let’s just hope he keeps his head on straight and doesn’t fade away into the fold.

Overall, if you are seeking a great hard rock album with a modern spike, purchase a copy of Kicking And Screaming. However, if you are looking for old school Bach ala the Skid Row days, you might want to take a pass. There is no Aqua Net required to enjoy this album.

Notable Tracks: Dance On Your Grave, Long As I Got The Music, Dream Forever

Five Finger Death Punch have just released an exclusive behind the scenes look at the making of the video for their current single “Under and Over It.” Fans can check out the clip here: guvera.com/fivefingerdeathpunch

Guitarist Zoltan Bathory spoke about the making of the video, “We wanted to hit a pretty sarcastic tone with it, so it looks like a typical big cock rock video, but in a tongue in cheek way. We put all the “big-time video” cliches in it except for the booty shake…or maybe we even got that, I don’t remember.”

“Under and Over It” is the #1 rated song at Active Rock Radio and 5FDP’s eighth straight Top Ten hit, and is featured on the band’s 3rd studio album, American Capitalist which is available everywhere on October 11th. You can pre-order the album on iTunes and Amazon now- ARTISTdirect calls it “the best hard rock/ metal album of the year.”

Features Premiere of Classic Concert in Select Theaters Nationwide on October 18

Multi-platinum rock `n roll band, The Rolling Stones will transport their legion of fans back to the magical summer of 1978 in The Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live In Texas, a one-night in-theater concert event on Tuesday, October 18, at 7:30 p.m. (local time). Unveiled for the first time in more than 30 years, this rare, never-before-seen concert was captured live in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 18, 1978. Digitally re-mastered to HD with Cinema Surround Sound, this legendary footage includes a mixture of classic Stones hits such as “Brown Sugar,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Tumbling Dice,” paired with blues numbers and Chuck Berry covers, as well as songs from the then newly released Some Girls LP including fan favorites “Beast of Burden” and “Miss You.” This tour has never been released via broadcast, cable television or DVD before. The special event will also include an exclusive 20-minute interview with Mick Jagger filmed in August 2011 where he reflects on the fabled 1978 U.S. tour, which is widely believed among fans to be one of the band’s greatest tours and strongest musically.

Presented by NCM Fathom, More2Screen and Eagle Rock, tickets for The Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live In Texas are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

“Fort Worth was an amazing night in a blistering hot July,” said Jagger. “Watching it now, the band was really intense and focused, but we were also having a blast with the fans who were really getting into the show and the new tracks from Some Girls. I think our fans will love the chance to see this concert movie for the first time on the big screen.”

The Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live From Texas will be broadcast to more than 300 theaters nationwide through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network. Fathom and Eagle Rock also teamed up for the highly successful cinema presentation ofLadies & Gentlemen… The Rolling Stones in September 2010, which featured classic Stones performances from their 1972 tour.

Formed in London in April 1962, The Rolling Stones consists of members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood. Having released 22 studio albums in the United Kingdom (24 in the United States), nine live albums (10 in the U.S.) and numerous compilations, their worldwide sales are estimated at more than 200 million albums. Their most recent album of entirely new material, A Bigger Bang, was released in 2005. In 1989, the Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2004, ranked No. 4 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked the Rolling Stones at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists, and as the second most successful group in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“It simply doesn’t get any bigger than bringing The Rolling Stones to music fans across the country,” said Dan Diamond, senior vice president of NCM Fathom. “Well-preserved for more than 33 years, audiences will be spellbound by this incredibly rare concert footage as it flawlessly captures the band during one of its most musically riveting periods.”

After blazing through the U.S. and Canada on the “Summer of Blood Tour”, LIZZY BORDEN have announced the “Death Takes a Holiday Tour” 2011.

LIZZY BORDEN will kick off the European part of the tour in the Netherlands (Eindhoven) on November 23rd, then on to Germany for the Christmas Metal Festival with Hammerfall, Lordi and Saxon in Lichtenfels, Germany on Nov 25th. A much anticipated performance at this year’s Hard Rock Hell festival in the UK will follow on December 2nd with Ace Frehley , Magnum and the Quireboys.

LIZZY BORDEN will be performing all of the classic songs like “Me against the World” “American Metal”, “Master of Disguise” as well as songs from the latest LIZZY BORDEN full length album “Appointment with Death”, along with some new surprises in the show just for this holiday tour.

CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED premieres “Admire the Heroes” on MetalUnderground.com! “Cold Winds On Timeless Days” to be released October 7th/10th!

CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED is teaming up the decade-old metal web destination, MetalUnderground.com, to premiere the third single from Cold Winds on Timeless Days, Admire the Heroes. The track can be heard now HERE.

Foreigner’s new album,Feels Like the First Time, debuted at #45 on the Billboard 200! You can now download the mp3 of Feels Like the First Time, the Free Song of the Day at Amazon.com! The promotion ends tomorrow, Sept. 27th so this is your last chance! And remember, the package can be ordered at Wal-Mart.com!

It is hard for me to believe that Styx has been around for four decades. They have had countless hits over the years, many of which are well represented in their new two CD compilation Regeneration. What makes this new compilation special? This CD was recorded with their current touring lineup, and offers one new song “Difference in the World”, as well as two newly re-recorded Damn Yankees songs “High Enough” and “Coming of Age”.

I am sure it will anger some folks that the songs in the 2 CD set were re-recorded without Dennis DeYoung, but Styx has carried on without him since 1999. Sometimes, you have to let the music do the talking, and the music speaks loud and clear. Tommy Shaw still sounds amazing in 2011, and Lawrence Gowan is excellent as well. I am a little disappointed that “Babe” and “Mr. Roboto” aren’t in this collection, but the new song, “Difference in The World”, as well as the re-recorded Damn Yankees songs make up for the tracks that are missing.

Overall, I think Regeneration is a very good career retrospective, and is one for all current Styx fans to check out.

Regeneration will be available on October 4th. You can pre-order it here.

Five Finger Death Punch will be headlining the Share the Welt tour this Fall with All That Remains, Hatebreed, and Rev Theory. To celebrate they are giving one lucky fan a chance to win a flyaway to a tour date of their choosing! Five Finger Death Punch‘s new album American Capitalist drops on October 11th.

CHICKENFOOT – the supergroup featuring guitarist Joe Satriani, drummer Kenny Aronoff, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and frontman Sammy Hagar – have announced “The 2011 Road Test Tour,” the first live performance dates in support of the band’s forthcoming “CHICKENFOOT III” due September 27th from from eOne Music in North America and around the world by earMUSIC/Edel. The tour is taking them through San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago and New York early November. Venues and ticket on-sale information will be announced October 3rd. Chickenfoot III is available now for pre-order on iTunes.

CHICKENFOOT are also offering fans a very special free Live Concert Webcast: Chickenfoot Presents “III” at 6PM PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME on TUESDAY, SEPETMBER 27TH. The band will perform tracks from the new album at TRI Studios in Marin County, California and host a 30-minute Q&A session with the fans at www.chickenfoot.us. Fans can submit their questions to be included in the live Q&A session at www.chickenfoot.us leading up to the live webcast. Special promotional opportunities to be a member of the live in-studio audience in the studio will be announced on the band’s social sites. The webcast will rebroadcast on the band’s website September 28th at NOON PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME.

“CHICKENFOOT III” was produced by Mike Fraser features an elaborately designed 3D package with optical illusions and special codes giving fans a fully immersed creative Chickenfoot experience, creating a spectacle with spectacles. With special “3D optical enhancers,” otherwise known as old-skool 3D glasses that come with each package, the cover and inside photos feature artwork that trick the eye by looking through the two different red and blue lenses of the glasses. Having used a special state-of-the-art 3D camera rig to create the designs, CHICKENFOOT gives fans a truly multi-dimensional experience throughout the packaging that also offers a 3D photo of each band member with stats and Q&As, QR codes for behind the scenes 3D video content from the photoshoot on smartphones and much more. A look through the red lens even reveals a very special message on the CD itself.

The first single, “Big Foot,” debuted at #1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock Chart holding the position for seven weeks and earning over 1.85 million listeners and continues to receive critical acclaim:

“‘Big Foot’ is sinewy, muscular and abundantly familiar – but in a good way. As Hagar sings, ‘that s*** rocks.’” – Billboard Magazine.

“Chickenfoot light a fire under rock ‘n’ roll’s collective ass, setting the pace for the genre as a whole. Chickenfoot III melds monstrous grooves and virtuoso playing in one of the year’s best rock records,” writes Rick Florino of ARTISTdirect.com.

In support of the album, Hagar will be the special guest of the week on VH1’s That Metal Show debuting on Saturday, September 24th and throughout the week. On the big screen, Satriani has a cameo in this weekend’s hotly anticipated big screen feature Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt.

“CHICKENFOOT III” features 10 tracks with so many moments of epiphany that one can barely take them all in on first listen. Colossal, stadium-shaking riffs abound on earth-movers such as “Alright, Alright,” “Last Temptation” and “Lighten Up.” Tradition meets innovation on the Nashville pop-tinged “Different Devil,” the Delta-blues flavored “Something Going Wrong” and the aching rock ballad “Come Closer.” Special video releases and more can be seen at the band’s webpage , as well as their podcast, YouTube, Facebook and Google+ pages. Chickenfoot III follows the band’s 2009 debut album, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 100 and was certified gold for sales of over 500,000 units by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Want to check out a free tune from a cool new band? Atlanta, Georgia’s MonstrO has just recorded their new self titled album in just 14 days with Alice in Chains vocalist William DuVall in the producer’s seat. The debut self-titled album already has fans raving with Outburn Magazine stating, “…this quartet has put out a solid debut album of pure musical honesty and integrity that combines the fearless exploration of Led Zeppelin, the sludgy drone of Alice in Chains, the genre defying art rock of Jane’s Addiction, and the rumble of Metallica.”

Renowned guitarists Alex Skolnick of Testament and Chris Broderick of Megadeth have joined forces to create the first annual Skolnick & Broderick’s Winter Guitar Retreat. This unique experience offers a select group of guitarists of all talent levels the opportunity to expand their horizons while spending four days and five nights studying and jamming with Broderick and Skolnick in a relaxed setting at Full Moon Resort in New York’s Catskill Mountains from December 26-30, 2011.

While best known for their work with Testament and Megadeth, Skolnick and Broderick are diverse, well rounded musicians with backgrounds and training in rock, jazz, classical and blues.

Skolnick & Broderick’s Winter Guitar Retreat will include master classes with Skolnick and Broderick, jam sessions, open mic nights and optional private lessons. Attendees are invited to expand their knowledge of lead guitar, rhythm guitar, music history, jazz theory, chord theory, harmony, improvisation, counterpoint, composition, chord voicings, improv (taught by Skolnick), classical fingerstyle technique (taught by Broderick), and of course heavy metal guitar. Guitarists will learn techniques to increase speed and improve tone, while hearing stories about life on the road, getting gear tips and much more. Nathan Peck (bass) and Matt “Zebar” Zebroski (drums/percussion) of the Alex Skolnick Trio will provide rhythm accompaniment for jam sessions throughout the week.

Broderick concurs: “Come join Alex and myself this winter for a comprehensive look at how we view the guitar. It will not only be insightful, but relaxed and fun as well. We will cover things such as stage performance, live jam sessions, and all kinds of helpful guitar playing tips that you can utilize. I look forward to seeing you at this incredible event.”

Skolnick & Broderick’s Winter Guitar Retreat will provide a full vacation experience, including gourmet meals from the in-house chef. In addition, Full Moon Resort is conveniently located close to a full array of winter activities including skiing and snowboarding.

A special 10% discount for Skolnick & Broderick’s Winter Guitar Retreat is available for those who register and pay in full before October 31, 2011.

The Skolnick & Broderick’s Winter Guitar Retreat is the first winter installment of the successful Music Masters Camp Series (www.musicmasterscamp.com/home/) held at Full Moon Resort, which has been hosted by musicians including Dweezil Zappa, Todd Rundgren, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto.

Alex Skolnick first picked up a guitar as a 9-year-old KISS fan, but it wasn’t long before he began to carve his own path, refining the blueprint for thrash metal as lead guitarist for Testament. At the same time as Testament was carving out its niche as one of metal’s most essential and enduring bands, Alex – intrigued by the later works of Miles Davis – began a parallel journey down the path of jazz. This ultimately led him to New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The New School’s jazz program in 2001. In a roundabout way, this intense study of jazz led him straight back to his original inspiration: Alex Skolnick Trio, formed during his time at The New School, opened its 2002 debut album Goodbye to Romance: Standards for a New Generation with a radical reinterpretation of KISS’ “Detroit Rock City.” The trio’s latest release, Veritas, released earlier this year by the esteemed jazz label Palmetto Records, reached the Top 10 on iTunes’ jazz charts. Along the way, Alex has played with the platinum-selling Trans-Siberian Orchestra, delved into producing, and his SkolNotes blog can be read regularly at alexskolnick.com/SkolNotes. Meanwhile, after an extended hiatus Alex rejoined Testament in 2005, and the band continues to break new ground. Testament’s most recent CD, 2008’s The Formation of Damnation (Nuclear Blast), was the band’s highest charting album to date on the Billboard Top 200. Testament’s Dark Roots Of Earth is due out in 2012.

For nearly four years, Chris Broderick has shared lead and rhythm guitar duties for “Big 4” heavy metal legends Megadeth. His first album with the band, 2009’s Endgame, featured the Grammy-nominated single “Head Crusher.” Megadeth’s song “Sudden Death” from Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock–and set to appear on the band’s forthcoming TH1RT3EN CD–was also Grammy nominated. TH1RT3EN will be released November 1, 2011 via Roadrunner Records. Previously, Chris built his reputation as one of the genre’s preeminent shredders with Jag Panzer and as touring guitarist for Nevermore. While he may be best known for his blistering solos, his styles include a broad range: classical, rock, blues and jazz. Both student and teacher of the instrument, Chris has been playing guitar since he was 11 years old – taking his first lessons at age 14 – and teaching for the past 16 years. He has a degree in Classical Guitar Music Performance from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, and has performed in many master classes including those given by David Russell, Benjamin Verdery, and his primary instructor Ricardo Iznaola. In addition, Chris has studied jazz improvisation and chord voicing, advanced music theory, and sight-reading.

Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY is a year-round mountain facility located in the heart of the “Forever Wild” Catskill Forest Preserve in upstate New York, 30 minutes west of Woodstock, and only fifteen minutes from Belleayre Mountain, a premier family ski center in the Catskill Mountains. Dedicated to the celebration of nature, music and the arts, the resort features over one hundred acres of fields, meadows, mountains, forests and streams. Driving time from New York City is only two and a half hours, and airports in Albany and Newburgh, NY are just a 90 minute drive.

Want to check out two new Nickelback songs? Nickelback is streaming their new songs, “When We Stand Together” and “Bottoms Up” at this site. Both songs will be available on iTunes on September 27th, 2011. Check ’em out!

Regardless of personal feelings about the band, there is no denying the impact the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind had on the hard rock community. That album changed the way music was heard. It pushed the boundaries of what was expected from a hard rock record. Nevermind changed the entire landscape of rock music and countless bands would follow hoping to emulate that sound and that market share. Nirvana would become known as leaders in the “grunge” revolution, but I think what gets lost in the re-telling of the story is how fantastic of an album Nevermind really is.

Sure, Nirvana is often referred to as the band that killed hair metal, or the band that launched grunge, or the band that started the wave of “feeling sorry for myself” rock music, but beyond that, Nirvana released an album that touched the senses in a way not many before had. Take a look at the gigantic first single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The first time you heard the choppy guitar riff followed by the crashing drums of Dave Grohl that sounded like a fireworks display grand finale, you had to hear more. And more importantly, you had to own this album. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was something different, as was the entire Nevermind album.

Over the course of the last twenty years, we’ve all been caught up in the death of Kurt Cobain, the speculation of what could have been had he not committed suicide. We’ve been fascinated with the conspiracy theory of whether he was murdered. We’ve been entrenched in looking for long last demos and unreleased material. What we’ve forgotten though is the complex brilliance of Nevermind. As a young man listening to Nevermind for the first time, I connected with songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” On A Plane,” and “Territorial Pissings”. Finally! A platform where I could shout about the bad things in life and release my pain through primal screaming thinly veiled as rock music. It was an amazing experience.

Don’t get me wrong. The hair metal of the time was exceptional music in its own right. Singing about women and sex and booze and partying had its place, but finally having an outlet to unleash my inner anger without having to burp, grunt, and growl incomprehensibly (ala Death/Doom Metal), added to my already growing feeling of invincibility and immortality. If I were to hear Nevermind for the first time today, I would certainly like it, but I can’t guarantee that I would embrace it the same way I did in my late teens. Nevermind was a calling to all the youth of the nation that it was ok to explode from time to time and that life wasn’t always about the party. Nevermind was a reminder that there is anger inside of us all and that occasionally, that anger needs to be released, vented, and distributed into the world.

There aren’t many albums that affect me the way Nevermind did. The pure unique sound and style, the band’s desire to be decidedly different, their willingness to embrace their independence is something that I was enamored with. Nirvana was truly unique, and my first exposure to Nevermind cemented me as a fan and secured my love for the band. It’s a shame that we never got to see a deeper body of work, but I will always appreciate what we do have and will never forget how groundbreaking Nevermind was and how it shook the rock world to its core, slapping rock music in the face, and waking up the sleeping masses. Yes, we had to endure several copycats and a lot of not so great bands, not to mention endless songs about hating yourself and hating life, but it was all worth it. There are few albums as grand as Nevermind.

The inaugural 48 Hours Festival Powered by Rockstar Energy Drink, the ultimate rock and roll music event scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 15 and Sunday, Oct. 16, is offering fans the opportunity to win an exclusive weekend concert experience with the “Debauchery VIP Package.” To enter to win, visit http://48hoursfestival.com/48hrs-festival-flyaway/. The winner and a guest will be flown to Las Vegas and receive:

Located on the Luxor Festival Fairgrounds across the street from Luxor Hotel and Casino, 48 Hours Festival will feature two stages of pure rock with a royal flush of festivities at various Las Vegas locations spanning the entire weekend. Along with scheduled performances by Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, Godsmack, Five Finger Death Punch, Three Days Grace and many more, the festival also will feature multiple big air freestyle motocross jump shows by the Rockstar Metal Militia daily. In addition, the 48 Hours Festival is holding various contests to win “Survival Kits” from bands performing at the festival through its Facebook page.

The countdown to 48 Hours Festival begins Friday, Oct. 14 with a kick-off party at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino featuring Steel Panther. On Saturday, Oct. 15 and Sunday, Oct. 16, concertgoers can continue raging at the official after-party at the House of Blues. In addition, Korn’s Jonathan Davis will DJ a Sunday morning Hangover Brunch at Mandalay Bay.

Two-day weekend ticket packages start at $99 and can be purchased at www.48HoursFestival.com/tickets/. In addition, a limited number of once-in-a-lifetime exclusive VIP packages are available including the “All Excess – Cabanas” package featuring a full-service cabana with premium elevated sight lines. For additional information and discount hotel packages at Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur, visit www.48HoursFestival.com.

“Worship Music“, (Megaforce) Anthrax’s first studio album in eight years and its first with vocalist Joey Belladonna since 1990’s “Persistence of Time,” blasts onto next week’s BillboardTop 200 Albums chart at #12, the band’s highest chart debut in two decades, and second-highest in its career, selling 28,500 copies.

And if that’s not enough, “Worship Music” debuted at #4 onBillboard’s Hard Rock Chart, #3 on the Hard Music Core Chart, and #2 at both the Indie and Indie Core Stores charts.

“I am most proud of our fans who came out and gave us the amazing support they did,” said Anthrax’s Charlie Benante. “To have our record debut at #12 is a great accomplishment.”

Added the band’s Scott Ian, “I’m absolutely thrilled with the fact that our Anthrax Army came out in force this week to show the world that good music matters. Thank you to all our friends, old and new! It’s a privilege to do this for you.”

While the recording of “Worship Music“ was challenging and at some times difficult, it was at the core of an extraordinary experience for a band that had questioned its very future. Anthrax’s turning point took place in 2009 at a Cleveland hotel bar with Metallica’s Lars Ulrich when he first brought up the idea of The Big Four. That led to Anthrax’s decision to get Belladonna back in the band on a permanent basis, and to the complete refashioning of the previously-recorded tracks for “Worship Music” with Belladonna’s inimitable vocal stamp. Pre-release reviews of “Worship Music” hailed the album as not only a career-best for Anthrax, but “the metal album of the year,” and last week’s New York homecoming concert at Yankee Stadium as one of the original architects of speed and thrash metal with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth – The Big Four – only added to Anthrax’s remarkable renewal.

Anthrax hits the road beginning October 14 on a five-week, coast-to-coast tour with Testament and Death Angel.